Seeking Powerful Drug Candidates
Interdisciplinary research into bacterial modular systems wins international recognition
Utilizing bacterial modular systems to develop new natural compounds may be crucial in addressing the challenge of increasing antibiotic resistance. A young project group at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg focuses on efficiently identifying optimal targets for modifying bacterial enzymes to produce a broad range of potential bioactive compounds. Their work has gained international recognition, as evidenced by their success in the iGEM competition.
Bacteria are often linked to disease; however, the vast majority of microorganisms are harmless and valuable for research. Bacteria constitute a virtually unlimited source of novel bioactive substances. Due to constant competitive pressure in their natural habitats, they produce bioactive compounds that influence their environment, for example, by inhibiting the growth of other microbes. Evolution has developed an ingenious modular system in bacterial non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS), enabling bacteria to update their arsenal of bioactive substances through recombination.
Tailor-made peptides developed through synthetic biology
The emerging field of synthetic biology mimics these natural processes and even extends them: By precisely engineering the genomes and molecular machinery of bacteria, entirely novel potential drug candidates can be generated. Dr. Patrick Gonschorek is project group leader within the department of Prof. Helge Bode at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, studies NRPS enzymes. In 2025, together with Dr. Christian Schelhas, Simon Klute, and Melina Flakowski, they supervised the iGEM Team of the MPI and University of Marburg, which focused on NRPS engineering. This competition seeks innovative synthetic biology solutions to pressing global problems. . The team’s interdisciplinary expertise across various disciplines is key to the project’s success. The iGEM team’s award-winning website illustrates the principle and relevance of NRPS engineering: https://2025.igem.wiki/marburg/.
Biosynthetic production of custom peptides often fails due to the extreme complexity of these large enzymes, which frequently lose functionality after modification. Often, it is the smallest details that determine success or failure. The iGEM team, comprising members from the Max Planck Institute and the University of Marburg, developed a software tool named “mATCmaker” that predicts which enzyme combinations are most likely to succeed. Its application saves time and resources, significantly increasing the efficiency of new molecule development. Within the iGEM project, the team created the largest collection of NRPS enzymes to date producing a large variety of novel natural products.
A successful combination of biology, information technology, and engineering
The results received international recognition: At the “Grand Jamboree” in Paris in October 2025, with over 400 teams and more than 10,000 participants from all over the world, the Marburg team ranked among the top 10 and received the award for the best project in infectious diseases. Additionally, they earned a gold medal for “Excellence in Synthetic Biology,” which they brought back to Marburg.
“Winning several prices at the international synthetic biology competition was not only a success but also an indication of the potential in combining biology, computer science, and engineering,” states Patrick Gonschorek. This achievement motivates him and his team to continue investigating the function of modular bacterial enzymes. In the next step, the novel natural products generated through NRPS engineering can be systematically screened for antibiotic or antiviral properties. This opens up new perspectives for the development of urgently needed therapeutics in the fight against infectious diseases.
